Course Program

Keep Ball Close To Hole

Use a short swing, for a 35-handicap player, ~30 minutes at Hartwell Recreation

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 359 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

25 to 45

Average HCP

35

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring25%
Alignment18%
Aim17%
Distance Control16%
Dispersion10%
Precision10%
Accuracy4%

Overview

Program Structure

Keep Ball Close To Hole. Focus on clean contact and use a short swing. Focus on Scoring, Alignment, Aim. For a 35-handicap player, in ~30 minutes.

Shot

Bump'n'Run

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Alignment
  • Aim
  • Distance Control

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 54 min
or
1 drill per day
9 days · 26 min/day

Drill Framework

Program breakdown

Each drill is designed to prepare you for the course. Follow the program or repeat the drills to improve key areas of your game.

01

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 parallel lines 20 balls per line and stop bump-n-run shots inside 9 Stop Zones. Count the number of successful stops.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Ball Lines | 9 Stop Zones
1

Place two parallel lines of balls beside the green. Each line has 18 balls spaced 1 foot apart. The lines are 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark 9 stop zones using tees, string, or buckets. Arrange the zones in 3 rows of 3, spaced evenly.

3

Hit 36 bump-n-run shots. Divide them into 9 groups of 4 shots.

4

Hit 4 shots from one ball line toward Stop Zone

1

Try to stop each ball in that zone.

5

Switch to the other ball line and hit 4 shots toward Stop Zone

6

Keep switching ball lines and hit 4 shots at each stop zone in order (Zone 1 to Zone 9).

7

Count every ball that stops in the right stop zone as a success.

8

Add total successful stops and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
02

Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped fairway; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Fairway | Above/Below Feet
1

Gather 36 balls and split them into 2 groups of

2

Stand on a slope where the ball is above your feet for the first 18 shots.

3

Choose one target on the green to aim at.

4

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots, trying to get close to the target from this lie.

5

Move to a slope where the ball is below your feet for the next 18 shots.

6

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots at the same target from this lie.

7

Count how many balls stop close to the pin. Record that number as your score out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
03

Bump-n-Run | Rough | Flat

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the flat rough grass.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Rough | Flat
1

Place two markers on the green, 15 yards apart.

2

Split 36 shots into two groups of

3

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots from the first rough spot at the first marker, aiming to stop the ball near it.

4

Move to a different nearby rough spot.

5

Hit 18 shots at the second marker from the new spot.

6

Count each shot as a success if the ball stops within 3 feet of the marker.

7

Use the same setup and stance for all shots.

8

Total the number of successful shots out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
04

Bump-n-Run | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal parallel piles of 4 balls next to the green and stop bump-n-run shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Parallel Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Arrange 40 balls into 10 piles of 4 balls each. Place the piles in two parallel lines, 5 to 10 yards apart, with each pile in a line about 2 yards apart.

2

On the green, mark two target zones: an inner circle with a 6-foot radius and an outer circle with a 15-foot radius.

3

Hit 36 shots: 18 to the inner circle, 18 to the outer circle.

4

Hit shots from any pile, switch between piles and lines.

5

Count a shot as a success if it stops in the target zone.

6

After 36 shots, add up successful shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
05

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 10 equal perpendicular piles of 4 balls and stop bump-n-run shots inside Bullseye. Count the number of balls in the inner and outer Bullseye.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Bullseye 2x
1

Make 10 piles of 4 balls (40 balls) in two lines, crossing each other near the green, 1 to 10 yards from the green and 5 to 30 yards from the hole. Keep piles 2 yards apart, lines 5 to 10 yards apart.

2

On the green, use string or tees to mark two circles around the hole: one with a 6-foot radius (inner), the other with a 15-foot radius (outer).

3

Use only 36 balls (9 piles of 4) for this test.

4

Split the 36 shots into two groups of

5

For the first 18 shots, try to land the ball inside the small circle.

6

For the next 18 shots, try to land the ball inside the big circle but outside the small circle.

7

Play bump-and-run shots by hitting from different piles, one after the other, keeping the same setup and order.

8

Count as a success if the ball stops in the correct circle. If not, it is a miss.

9

Count how many balls finished where they should in both circles. Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230282520161285
06

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Up to 5 players compete to stop a bump-n-run shot closest to the multiple target(s). The player with the most points at the end wins the challenge. One bucket of balls per player is needed.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Piles | Multiple Targets
1

Set up 10 piles of balls in two crossed lines. Each line has 5 piles, 3 yards/meters apart.

2

Put the piles 1 to 10 yards/meters from the green and 5 to 30 yards/meters from the hole, on the same type of grass.

3

Mark 3 target zones on or near the green, spaced far apart.

4

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots: 12 for each target zone.

5

Pick any pile and hit 12 balls, trying to land and stop the ball in the first target zone.

6

Hit 12 shots at the second target zone, then 12 at the third.

7

Keep the same ball setup for every shot. Don’t change ball position or lie in the pile.

8

Count each ball that stops in the target zone as a success.

9

At the end, enter the number of balls that stopped in the target zones out of 36.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
07

Bump-n-Run | Rough | Above/Below Feet

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket with balls above feet level, one bucket with balls below feet level.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Rough | Above/Below Feet
1

Put the ball in the sloped rough, 5 to 30 yards from the hole, with the ball above your feet.

2

Place three targets evenly spaced left, center, and right of the hole, all about the same distance from your ball.

3

Hit 36 bump-and-run shots: 18 with the ball above your feet and 18 with the ball below your feet.

4

For each lie, split the 18 shots into 3 groups of 6, one group for each target.

5

With the ball above your feet, hit 6 shots to the left target, 6 to center, and 6 to right, in any order.

6

Move the ball below your feet and repeat: 6 shots to left, 6 to center, 6 to right.

7

Count each shot that stops inside the target area as a success.

8

Add up your total successful shots and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
08

Bump-n-Run | Rough | Uphill/Downhill

Short Game

Hit bump-n-run shot two buckets of balls (avg. bucket is 40 balls) from the sloped rough grass; one bucket from the uphill slope and one bucket from the downhill slope.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Rough | Uphill/Downhill
1

Put two markers on the green about 6 feet apart as targets.

2

Place the balls in the downhill rough, 5 to 30 yards from the hole.

3

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots from downhill, aiming for Target 1 for 9 shots, then Target 2 for 9 shots.

4

Move to the uphill rough on the opposite side, same distance from the hole.

5

Hit 18 bump-and-run shots from uphill, aiming for Target 1 for 9 shots, then Target 2 for 9 shots.

6

A shot is successful if the ball stops within 3 feet of the target.

7

Count total successful shots out of 36 and enter that number in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
09

Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets

Short Game

Align a bucket of balls next to the green (avg. bucket is 40 balls) into 2 perpendicular lines 20 balls per line and stop bump-n-run shots close to multiple targets. Count the number of successes.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for Bump-n-Run | Perpendicular Ball Lines | Multiple Targets
1

Put 36 balls in 2 lines near the green. Each line has 18 balls about 1 foot apart.

2

Place the 2 lines so they cross each other like a plus sign, 5 to 10 yards apart.

3

Put 3 targets about 6 feet apart on the green.

4

Hit 12 shots at each target, for a total of 36 shots.

5

Start with one line and hit 12 shots trying to stop the ball within 10 feet of the first target.

6

Use the other line and hit 12 shots at the second target, same goal.

7

Hit 12 shots at the third target from either line, trying to keep within 10 feet.

8

Count each shot that stops within 10 feet of the target.

9

After 36 shots, write down your number of successful shots out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

Start the drills at your own pace or work with a coach to inside drills.golf.